A blog site for the anthology, A Tingling Catch: A Century of New Zealand Cricket Poems 1864-2009 edited by Mark Pirie; foreword by Don Neely (HeadworX Publishers, Wellington, New Zealand, 2010). The blog features reviews and commentary on the book as well as New Zealand cricket poetry, reviews of New Zealand cricket books and other related material. The book's cover is by UK cricket painter Jocelyn Galsworthy.

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Day four at Headingley

Day four played out much as I thought it would.

A century to England captain Alistair Cook, the England record holder for most Test centuries, and a big run chase for New Zealand of 468. Did Cook bat for too long? Possibly.

It’s all down to the weather now with New Zealand’s batsmen trying hard but fairing little better than in the first innings finishing 158-6 with skipper McCullum and Tim Southee at the crease.

Hamish Rutherford again looks a real find for New Zealand with a well-made 42 and Ross Taylor with 70 showed his consistency at Test level. A couple of late wickets in the darkening conditions, however, handed the day to England.

2.

At times like these, there’s a well-known song by Neil Finn’s Crowded House that goes “Wherever you go / Always take the weather with you…’

Right now there’s a blustery southerly wind where I am in Wellington and rain, and around the country snow has been falling in some areas. The Finns are cricket fans. I can but wish New Zealand’s team could take our weather with them to Leeds.

About Me

Mark Pirie is an internationally published New Zealand poet, anthologist, literary critic, writer and publisher with a special interest in cricket poetry. In 2010 he edited and published 'A Tingling Catch': A Century of New Zealand Cricket Poems 1864-2009. Mark's previous anthology of New Zealand Science Fiction poetry, co-edited with Tim Jones and published by IP, Brisbane, won the Sir Julius Vogel Award for Best Collected Work 2010. His publishing company is HeadworX Publishers: http://headworx.eyesis.co.nz As a publisher and author he has over 100 titles listed in the National Library of New Zealand. His website is www.markpirie.com His other interests are popular music. In 2010 he helped co-organise the Poetry Archive of New Zealand Aotearoa (PANZA). Web site: http://poetryarchivenz.wordpress.com